1)The world and Europe is running out of fossil fuels.
2) When there are no more fossil fuels Europe will need to trade with a stable north Africa to purchase solar energy
3) As long as the current undemocratic leaders of north Africa are in power there will be the potential for revolution which would be economically unstable
4) North Africans want Islamic rule
5) Western governments spend taxpayers money supporting dictatorships to stop Islamic regimes taking over

Seems to me like we should stop paying money to stop Islamism
let it happen
North Africa wants Islamism
We need solar energy
Why waste our money protecting Mubarack? The Muslim Brotherhood won't be much worse

Its not like the cold war
It might have been worthwhile supporting right wing nut jobs to stop Russia
They were an uber-high tech nation bent on world domination

There's no point supporting dictators to stop Islamists because
Islamists are barely evolved Medieval types who are no threat to western civilization
let them have there revolution
so we have stable neighbors we can deal with in the future

And how, exactly, do you propose to create a "one state" solution without it immediately turning into a civil war?

No, really, it's a real question. It's not rhetorical. Are there means whereby you see a realistic possibility of doing this without (much) bloodshed? (I assume that you are not just banking on the goodwill of all involved.)

No, Tzatz, the point is exactly that with or without Oslo there is no peace between Israel and the Palestinians. Oslo and its sequels are just the fig leaf that allows Israel to keep killing and stealing without losing Western support. When the First Intifada was getting out of hand and international outrage was about to create a situation like the one that finally ended the apartheid in South Africa, Israel just found the perfect solution: bringing back old Arafat, filling his and his cronies' pockets with international aid, turning them into a police force to control their unruly brothers and allow the pretense that they are all actually working towards a mutually agreed end of the conflict, while expanding settlements on Palestinian land and brutally quashing all resistance.

The solution, since you ask, is the same that ended decades of oppression and discrimination in South Africa: one country for all people living in the territory, with equal rights and obligations. Simple as that.

Why is this the problem of the West? Israel? Do you mean to imply that the West/America/Israel is responsible for Nasser/Sadat/Mubarak/Mubarak Jr?

When will the Egyptians or more generally Arabs/Muslims take responsibility for their own mismanagement? How are the latest incarnations of bad governance different than those during the 1700’s, 1800’s and early 1900’s? When was the ‘golden era’ of good governance in Egypt?

The Ottoman Empire kept the ‘open secret’ of the poor living conditions of the Arab/Muslim masses under their ‘care’ from the eyes of the world for centuries. Oh yes. The West was aware at the diplomatic/political elite level but there was no CNN/Al Jezeera to show us, the general population, the depravities of their civilization and culture. We are now all quite aware.

There is no pity in our eyes. Merely disbelief. If your world isn’t ready to join the West then be ready for open warfare. It’s already begun with or without our consent. The Arab/Israeli Wars have shown us the intent of the Arab/Muslim World and the Iraq/ Afghanistan are the opening salvos of the civilizational conflict.

Froy1100 would have us believe that the Oslo Process is the cause of the Palestinians’ problems. The Oslo Process which normalized relations between the PLO and the State of Israel. So let me get this straight … take away Oslo and there would be peace between Israel and the Palestinians? Or there would be no Hamas/Fatah split? There would have been no Intafada I or II? What would have been different exactly Froy1100?

The ‘just solution’ for the Palestinians is what exactly Froy1100? What are its parameters? What about the refugee issue? What about Jerusalem? What does a ‘just solution’ mean to Froy1100?

Any Egyptian response at all must be construed as a war crime. And probably a Zionist Mossad plot. It's axiomatic that we fine fellow liberals here in the west and from the comfort of our armchairs must support the freedom striving peaceful people of peace of Hizbollah which is really just a social aid society.

I just finished watching an Egyptian TV Soap (that was shown this past Ramadan) called "King Farouk". This excellent Historical Drama on the Last King of Egypt, shed a whole other light on the Descendant of The Great "Muhamad Ali"!

While not even being of Egyptian Ancestry, "Farouk" showed more Balls, Nationalism (Arab) & Patriotism than the current Egyptian Government ever has!!

Although the "Free Officers" who Bravely & Rightfully carried out the "July Revolution" (more accurately termed Coup or ABORTION of a Real Revolution by the Muslim Brotherhood), (most of them) were soon too Busy Dividing & Sharing in the Loot that was Confiscated & Nationalized (many times, correctly so) from the Old Aristocracy & Foreign Colonial Interests!!!

Over a Half-Century later, things are much Worse than they ever were. The Monarchy has been ABOLISHED, yet we still have the PASHAS. Egypt today (I'm told) makes the Old Egypt of Farouk, look like a Dreamland. Back then the Egyptian Pound was worth a few Dollar$ (now it's the other way around)!!!!

That Ancient Contract between Egypt & it's rulers has long ago been Broken. Hizbullah Follows in the tradition of the Muslim Brotherhood, so does Hammas. Unless something is done (SOON), there will be no more Coups or Abortions of Revolutions. This Time, it will be the Real Thing!!!!!

Tzatz, it's precisely the current "peace process" what has gotten the Palestinians nowhere. 16 years after the Oslo agreements, the only real change has been the accelerated expansion of settlements on Palestinian land, the destruction of their economy and the severance of their territory by walls, "Jews-only" roads and checkpoints. The peace process is only a mirage, for Israel to pretend that they are interested in a just solution to the conflict, while they keep stealing land in the backstage. Since their return from exile, Fatah leaders have just been a tool for Israel's strategy. That's why Palestinians despise Abbas, and US-backed dictators, loathed by their own people, are his only arab supporters.

That Egypt's dictatorial government should dislike Hizbullah, the democratically elected party of government in Palestine, is to be expected. But the lack of even handedness on the part of the European and U.S. governments towards the government of Palestine and its people, with respect to Israel, damages democracies throughout the world.

What a fascinating little nugget of a story.Hezbollah used to be a genuine local Shia movement with no real interests outside their Levant borders. The recent Israeli attempts to portray them as part of mega muslim AQ threat against America and western civilisation was pure propoganda designed to vilify a tenacious and popular neighborhood enemy.

Looks like Hezb is indeed spreading its wings and allowing itself to be a tool of Iran. (again unlike propoganda they always resisted Iranian takeover of their Arab Shia cause)

But I still believe what Hezbollah says more than I believe what the Egyptian govt says. Most people who know anything about the region will probably feel the same way. Tells how just how deeply these rotten to the core Arab secular dictatorships are distrusted and despised.

To Froy1100: “as a resistance guerrilla against Israeli occupation … that they help the Palestinian factions that are truly fighting against occupation, instead the ones collaborating with it.”

So it’s people like you who would support the ‘resistance’ despite all the facts that show it has gotten the Palestinians exactly nowhere. But you think that ‘resistance’ is a better solution than … ‘coexistence’ … ‘cooperation’ … diplomacy … dialogue?

It’s nice to see on which side of civilization you belong. I guess it proves the old adage … ‘you can take the man out of the Middle East but you can’t take the Middle East out of the man‘ … nice :-(

A non-state actor involving itself in the affairs of other countries and you don’t see a problem? A non-state actor that prompted a war in 2006 which it didn’t ask the citizens of that country for permission. A non-state actor that uses a bully pulpit to continually ‘stir the pot’ against the ‘enemies’ of Iran.

You don’t see a problem? Quick how many fingers do you see?

The Pharaoh in Egypt has brought stability to Egypt. That’s not saying much? I think it says a lot. Almost any government that brought stability has to be given a gold star. Ya it’s a repressive regime. The people have known no other type of regime! There’s never been democracy and there won’t be up and until there’s a generation of educated masses clamoring for it. We don’t need the Muslim Brotherhood we know that would lead to a confrontation with the State of Israel. Not a pretty sight.

Primelight, Hizbollahs latest sin was to provoke an attack from a foreign country and then defend from the subsequent invasion. You seem to forget that on July 12, 2006, at Iran's behest, Hizbollah launched an idiscriminate rocket attack on the Israeli towns of Zarit and Shlomi before crossing the border into sovereign Israeli territory and killing three soldiers, capturing two (who were later killed), and wounding two others. I would not exactly call that "defending against a foreign invasion" when they were the ones who provoked that invasion and bear all responsibility for the damage it caused to Lebanon.

On that same note, the fact that this Iranian proxy group has cells operating in Egypt is a worrying piece of news that is not very surprising. While Mubarak's government is not the most democratic or freedom loving of governments my fear is that any alternative would mirror the oppressive rule of the current mullahs in Iran and completely destabilize the region. This is an alternative that must be avoided at all costs and while Mubarak is certainly afraid of the Muslim Brotherhood and all of it's affiliates, this story has far reaching implications that go beyond Egypt's border.

Aside from that, Egypt generates billions of dollars a year through Western tourism and having known terrorist groups running around and plotting attacks is a sure way to dry up that revenue. It will be interesting to see how this pans out but all of this highlights another major problem in finding a peaceful resolution to the Arab-Israeli conflict and that is the fact that the Arab-Palestinian side is ideologically split and it is impossible to speak of a two state solution when in reality there exists three. Until the Arab world can somehow agree on something and the Palestinians realize that while further resistance to the "occupation" may generate sensational photographs and distract the world away from Arab-Iranian sponsored genocides in Sudan and Iran's nuclear ambitions, it will not, in any way, lead to the creation of a Palestinian state.

Since 1948 the Arab strategy has been the refusal to recognize Israel combined with the occasional war but what do they have to show for it?

Mubarak is just scared to death of the Muslim Brotherhood and their increasing popularity, threatening his grip on the throne, only maintained by brute force and American support. Since Hamas is an offshoot of the M.B., anyone suspect of helping Hamas-ruled Gaza in Egypt will be dealt with as a threat to the regime.

Of course, in this Sunni-Shia Cold War, the enemy of my enemy is my friend, so it's only natural that Hizbollah assists Hamas instead of Egypt/Jordan/S.Arabia/US/Israel-backed Fatah (just as natural as Egypt crushing any presence of Syria/Iran-backed Hizbollah). But as a resistance guerrilla against Israeli occupation I see it perfectly coherent and consistent that they help the Palestinian factions that are truly fighting against occupation, instead the ones collaborating with it.

Surely Middle East has many problems. I don’t see Hizbullah as a major problem. Hizbullah’s latest sin was to defend their country against a foreign invasion. At the time of the invasion the Lebanese army did not bother to leave their barracks and Hizbullah was blamed for defending their country.

To see a real problem in the Middle East take a look at pharaoh of Egypt, Hosni Mubarak, who is grooming his son to become the next pharaoh and may even start building his own Pyramid.

You may disagree with Hizbullah, but you know they’re putting their money where their mouth is. What’s Hosni doing?

Mostly people don't get the government they deserve … rather they get the government … the strongest/toughest group within the country is able to give them … since they grabbed power without the consent of the electorate!

So … where there is a lack of democracy … the entire Arab/Muslim Middle East for example … the people get … Col. Khaddafi … Nasser/Sadat/Mubarak … Col. Assad/Assad Jr … King Hussein/King Abdullah … King Saud/King … whatever …

Lebanon is a democracy. Egypt is a dictatorship, virtually no different from Saddam's, complete with a Qusay and Uday of their own (Gamal and Alaa). Worst of all the Egyptian people don't seem to care one bit. You get the government you deserve.